The Trophy Drought In The Country's National Teams Is Caused By Ourselves And Can Be Stopped.

Undeniably, football is a unifying force and it is global. The beauty of the game of football is seen when countries are playing matches even if they play friendly games. The euphoria is seen to be formidable and national, which increases the backing the teams get from their supporters during a game.

Unfortunately, there has been an unusually high level of corruption, nepotism, and favouritism in the selection of players for the Ghana National Team of late. This makes it impossible to get the right players for the team. At the end of the day, the players we send to these tournaments get selected not based on merit. How come a player who doesn't play any active or competitive football gets selected for the national team? The same thing happens when it comes to selecting the coach for the national team. Coaches with rich CVs are often ignored while we go in for those who can be remotely controlled.

The time Ghana won those cups and did well in football, the country didn't know negative political propaganda as it does today. Politics has created a severe dichotomy that makes it difficult for us all to support the Black Stars as a national team. When the NPP is in power, the National Team becomes an NPP property. They send their foot soldiers as supporters to many of the games the team plays. It's the same thing with the NDC. Whether we like it or not, supporters play a significant role in winning matches in football and other sporting activities. But if we send supporters of a political party to go and support a whole national team, it looks like one-sided support and not national support.

Furthermore, the use of foreign-based players at the expense of the local players is another factor. We all agree that experience and exposure form part of these games. But we have also forgotten the fact that those who play in clubs outside the country earn much more than their local counterparts back home. The Foreign players will always protect their legs for their clubs, where they earn more. We should, therefore, consider playing more local players in the team with just a handful of foreign players to blend with them for the need for experience in the game.

The local players will do everything possible to excel and get teams outside the country, where they can earn better living conditions. Putting them in games like the ongoing AFCON will boost their morale and propel them to play a better game displaying their dexterities and flair in the games to get contracts from outside clubs who have agents scouting for clubs during such games.

Lack of enough preparation is yet another consequence of our shambolic performance in games. CAF should make a point to FIFA to direct that there should be a one or two-month break for the preparation of African teams for these games. Why is it that when the African Cup is going on, clubs in Europe play competitive games? If they are playing their games, don't they postpone club games?

I don't want to believe that there is a sort of imperialism in football. Football is a game of fun and mustn't be seen as another superiority phenomenon between the developed and the developing countries.

The government should establish a modern sports complex purposely fir the game of football and devote much attention to it. This is not to say other disciplines must be ignored. Nope! It has come to stay that football outshines all the other games. The government should therefore establish sports academies across the country where the youth within any age bracket who can play active football will be professionally trained in these academics.

To draw the curtains down, we must eschew nepotism and corruption in the selection of the players for the national team. Politics and football must be seen as two different matters and be treated as such without any hindrance. Enough time must also be allowed for preparation for these games and club teams cease all activities in Europe as well. And the government should establish sports academies across the country to train the youth towards national games. If all these mentioned are put in place, the future of the national teams will be brighter than they are at the moment and the country might regain its right place in the game of football